Feel free to use this page as your portal to the SQL Server community

General Microsoft SQL Server Home Page - A great resource for all versions of SQL Server SQL Server Worldwide Users Group - A great newsletter and a nice site MSDN's SQL Server Section - Code samples, articles and more PASS - Professional Association of SQL Server - Good links, articles, and event calender Sql-Server-Performance.com - A great resource for performance tuning SQL Server

Tools and Utilities Best Practices Analyzer for SQL Server 2000 - Microsoft's SQL Server Best Practices Analyzer is a management tool that lets you verify the implementation of common usage and DBA-related Best Practices. SqlSpec - Database Documentor - "SqlSpec" creates comprehensive, easily navagable documentation for your SQL Server databases. Most data dictionary software runs $199-$499 which makes the $20 you'll spend on SqlSpec a tremendous deal. Log Explorer - The best SQL Server log browsing tool on the market today DBArtisan - The standard tool suite for those DBAs and developers who work with multiple relational database management systems (such as Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2) ER/Studio - For you data modelers out there

Recommended Books Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming - Recommended by Scott Whigham (author of LearnSqlServer.com) as best book for newbies and beginners to SQL Server 2000 SQL Queries for Mere Mortals - Michael Hernandez has just a way of explaining things like JOINs and subqueries that just clicks. Be aware that this book is about SQL, not a particular implementation of SQL Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Bible - Paul Nielsen is a SQL guru - there's no question. This book is a huge tome of great SQL info and comes highly recommended for newbies and intermediate-level DBAs and developers Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Performance Optimization and Tuning Handbook - Ken England gives a great treatise on execution plans, query tuning and index design in this SQL Server standard Kalen Delaney's "Inside SQL Server 2000" - This book by Kalen Delaney is long-regarded as the best way to take that next-step from intermediate-level to guru Database Design for Mere Mortals - Another Michael Hernandez gem and, of course, it's an industry standard. Be aware that this book is about SQL, not a particular implementation of SQL SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming - Joe Celko is the guru's guru and we all just want to be half as smart as him. Be aware that this book is about SQL, not a particular implementation of SQL SQL Puzzles and Answers - How fun - a whole book of nothing but schema puzzles and query puzzles. Be aware that this book is about SQL, not a particular implementation of SQL Ken Henderson's "The Guru's Guide to Transact SQL" - You just can't find a better book on SQL Server. This was book could've been written in 1979 but it wouldn't matter; even when SQL Server 2010 (or whatever) comes out, it will still be relevant. A classic! An Introduction to Database Systems - This is the seminal work - the collegiate textbox from which much of today's books refer back to. Be aware that this book is about SQL, not a particular implementation of SQL Ken Henderson's "The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML" - There's a definite list of "World's Greatest Authors for SQL Server" and Ken Henderson has to be 1 or 2. Buy this book if you develop stored procedures - end of story; just ignore the XML part if you have SQL 2005. Ken Henderson's "The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Architecture and Internals" - This book is written for SQL Server 2000 but many of the same concepts are still valid for SQL Server 2005. Book You Should Own: "Inside SQL Server 2005: The Storage Engine" - Have questions about the internals of SQL Server 2005? Kalen Delaney's book on the architecture and sysinternals of SQL Server 2005 is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Book for Developers: "Inside SQL Server 2005: TSQL Programming" - Itzik Ben-Gan and Dejan Sarka have combined to create this book for anyone wanting to get the most out of their SQL Server development. One word of caution: many examples are quite cryptic so you might want to go to the local bookstore before buying. Excellent Book on SSIS: "Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services" - Brian Knight is one of the superstars of the SQL Server DTS/SSIS world and this book is his latest missive on SSIS. It covers the whole gamut including What's New in SSIS, the new roles in MSDB and how to secure/deploy your SSIS packages. Book to Improve Your SQL Skills: "Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2005: T-SQL Querying" - Itzik Ben-Gan, Dejan Sarka, and Lubor Kollar offer us this book focused on writing queries. Focus is on the new features of SQL Server 2005 with examples on the windowing functions, CTEs and TOP. One word of caution: not for newbies... Book for XML with SQL Server 2005: "Professional SQL Server 2005 XML" - For those of wanting to go into the details of the new XML features/datatype/schemas, et al in SQL Server 2005, Scott Klein's book is an excellent resource. Book for SQL CLR: "Pro SQL Server 2005 Assemblies" - Robin Dewson does an excellent job at explaining the complexities of CLR in the database and helps you understand the answer to the question, "Should I do xyz in CLR or TSQL?" User-defined types and working with XML are included as well. Rob Viera's "Beginning SQL Server 2005 Programming" Book - Two of the greatest SQL Server books ever written were Rob Viera's "Professional SQL Server 7.0 Programming" and the SQL Server 2000 version. Thanks for keepin' on, Rob! Rob Viera's "Professional SQL Server 2005 Programming" Book - Rob Viera is not only a SQL genius but he's a genius at being able to explain very complex topics in a simple, easy-to-remember way. Thank you, Wrox, for finding this man! SQL Server 2005 Upgrade Technical Reference Guide - This 350-page document contains guidance for SQL Server administrators, developers, and IT decision makers who would like to move their SQL Server 2000 or 7.0 databases to SQL Server 2005.